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The ward campaign of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oredo Local Government Area of the state was brought to an abrupt end on Wednesday as aggrieved youth members of the party from the locality booed the party leaders.

Governor Monday Okpebholo, who led the APC leaders to the ward meeting held at Garrick Memorial College, Ekenwan Road, had his speech intermittently interrupted by the aggrieved youths, who kept chanting anti-party slogans.

Every attempt by Governor Okpebholo to douse the tension was met with more boos of ‘oppression, oppression’ and ‘no more neglect, no more use and dump’.

The youths also accused the administration of neglecting them after they allegedly worked for the governor’s election in 2024.

An attendee, who simply identified herself as Madam Esohe, said, ‘The area was tense. The youths defied all entreaties by party leaders and continued to chant that they had been dumped and neglected after supporting the governor’s emergence during the election.’

The development, according to her, created confusion at the meeting as attempts to continue the engagement were frustrated by the youths’ repeated interruptions.

The meeting, which was part of the governor’s ongoing engagements with APC members across wards in the state, consequently ended abruptly.

Governor Okpebholo had earlier in the day inaugurated the state campaign council, headed by Senator Matthew Uroghide, for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The governor has recently been holding consultations and meetings with party members at the ward level as part of efforts to strengthen the APC structure across the state.

The disruption at Ward 3 has introduced a fresh twist into the party’s grassroots engagement, with allegations and counter-allegations emerging over what transpired at the meeting.

A source within the government, who pleaded anonymity, claimed that a party leader, whose name was withheld, orchestrated the protest and booing of the governor.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called for increased funding for education in Nigeria, saying the country’s education sector also needs improved welfare for teachers and stronger protection of schools against insecurity.

The National President of NUT, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, Amba made the call on Tuesday while speaking at 59th National Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Enugu, the Enugu State Capital.

The NUT President identified poor remuneration, teacher shortages, dilapidated infrastructure, inadequate instructional materials, underfunding, insecurity, weak policy implementation and the digital divide among the major challenges confronting the sector.

He urged governments at all levels to increase investment in education and fully implement approved teachers’ welfare packages, including the special salary structure, bursaries, pension scheme, housing and loan facilities.

According to Amba, NUT remained committed to working with governments, labour unions, Education International and other stakeholders to strengthen the teaching profession and improve learning outcomes.

Also speaking, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State said the future of education should not be framed as a contest between teachers and technology, but as a partnership in which technology empowers teachers to deliver better learning outcomes.

Mbah said Artificial Intelligence (AI) could assist teachers in lesson preparation, personalise learning, identify learning gaps and expand access to knowledge, but could not replace the human qualities that define effective teaching.

‘The future is therefore not teacher versus technology. The future is teacher with technology,’ the governor declared.

The former NUT national president and Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, also used the occasion to highlight the importance of investing in teachers, saying his administration had placed workers’ welfare and education among its priorities.

Idris said Kebbi had maintained an up-to-date payment system for workers’ salaries, pensions, gratuities and death benefits at the state and local government levels, including local government education authorities.

‘We don’t owe salaries, we don’t owe pensions, and we don’t owe gratuity,’ the governor said.

He said his administration had recruited thousands of workers, including teachers and health personnel, while more than 5,000 professional workers had been absorbed into the permanent civil service to address casualisation.

Idris said his administration had also invested in the construction, renovation and furnishing of more than 2,000 schools, including the provision of thousands of pieces of furniture for teachers and pupils.

The governor said his administration was determined to keep children in school and reduce the number of out-of-school children in Kebbi communities.

He recalled that his transition from teaching to politics had initially attracted criticism from those who questioned whether a teacher could govern a state, but said workers stood by him and supported his emergence as governor.

‘Teaching has done so many things for me,’ Idris said, explaining that this informed his decision to extend the years of service for teachers in Kebbi from 35 to 40 years.

He said the state’s commitment to teachers’ welfare was aimed at ensuring that no teacher, worker or pensioner was owed salary or pension arrears.

Also addressing the conference, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Aisha Garba, said technology and AI should complement, rather than replace, teachers.

Garba said reforms in the education sector were increasingly prioritising educational technology, digital professional development, AI and data-driven systems in education planning and classroom practice.

She disclosed that UBEC had established 37 Smart Model Schools and 74 Digital Learning Centres, comprising two centres in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, to expand digital learning and strengthen teachers’ capacity.

She urged stakeholders to ensure that investments in technology remained inclusive and sustainable, particularly in underserved communities.

The theme of the conference is ‘The Deployment of Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Education Will Erode the Place of Teachers in the Classroom: A Myth or Reality?’

The conference, held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, brought together teachers, education administrators, government officials and other stakeholders to examine the future of teaching in the era of rapid technological advancement.Sam Nwaoko

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called for increased funding in education in Nigeria, saying the country’s education sector also needs improved welfare for teachers and stronger protection of schools against insecurity.

The National President of NUT Comrade Audu Titus Amba, Amba made the call on Tuesday while speaking at 59th National Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Enugu the Enugu State Capital.

The NUT President identified poor remuneration, teacher shortages, dilapidated infrastructure, inadequate instructional materials, underfunding, insecurity, weak policy implementation and the digital divide among the major challenges confronting the sector.

He urged governments at all levels to increase investment in education and fully implement approved teachers’ welfare packages, including the special salary structure, bursaries, pension scheme, housing and loan facilities.

According to Amba, NUT remained committed to working with governments, labour unions, Education International and other stakeholders to strengthen the teaching profession and improve learning outcomes.

Also speaking, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State said the future of education should not be framed as a contest between teachers and technology, but as a partnership in which technology empowers teachers to deliver better learning outcomes.

Mbah said Artificial Intelligence (AI) could assist teachers in lesson preparation, personalise learning, identify learning gaps and expand access to knowledge, but could not replace the human qualities that define effective teaching.

‘The future is therefore not teacher versus technology. The future is teacher with technology,’ the governor declared.

The host governor said AI should be regarded as a ‘handmaid of development’ capable of making teachers more productive, innovative and effective, rather than an instrument designed to take away their jobs.

Mbah, who said his administration had invested heavily in education in the last 40 months, disclosed that more than 33 per cent of the state’s total budget across three budget cycles had been allocated to the sector.

He said the state had recruited 6,850 teachers and other education personnel to address manpower shortages and improve the student-teacher ratio, while Smart Green Schools were being developed across the state’s 260 wards.

The governor said the technology-driven schools were designed to prepare children for the future, stressing that the transformation of education must also include investment in the people responsible for delivering it-the teachers.

He called for ethical standards, data protection, responsible regulation and continuous capacity building for teachers to ensure that AI was deployed responsibly in the education sector.

‘Our teachers must not be victims of the technological revolution. They must be among its principal beneficiaries and drivers,’ Mbah said.

The position was reinforced by the keynote speaker, Executive Director (Academics), African Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA), Prof. Steve Nwokeocha, who said the fear that educational technology could erode the place of teachers was real, but should be addressed through adaptation and continuous professional development.

The former NUT national president and Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, also used the occasion to highlight the importance of investing in teachers, saying his administration had placed workers’ welfare and education among its priorities.

Idris said Kebbi had maintained an up-to-date payment system for workers’ salaries, pensions, gratuities and death benefits at the state and local government levels, including local government education authorities.

‘We don’t owe salaries, we don’t owe pensions and we don’t owe gratuity,’ the governor said.

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has fixed date for the hearing of a suit challenging the nomination of Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 Rivers State election.

The new date for hearing of the suit is slated for November 4, 2026.

The suit, marked FHC/PH/CS/3/2026, was instituted by Samuel Amatonjie against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chinda, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the APC, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Clerk.

Amatonjie is challenging Chinda’s eligibility to participate in the APC governorship primary, arguing that his defection from the PDP to the APC was not completed in accordance with Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, before the party’s screening and primary.

When the matter came up before Justice Mohammed Turaki, the plaintiff informed the court that he was served with processes filed by some of the defendants on September 28 and required additional time to study and respond to them.

Following submissions by the parties, Justice Turaki adjourned the matter to November 4 for hearing.

Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, Amatonjie said the suit was instituted as a public interest litigation seeking an interpretation of Section 68 of the Constitution on defection by a member of the National Assembly.

He said the central issue was whether Chinda’s defection from the PDP to the APC had been completed as of May 9, 2026, when he was screened for the APC governorship primary, and May 21, 2026, when he emerged as the party’s candidate.

According to him, Chinda’s resignation and defection letter was read on the floor of the House of Representatives by the Speaker on June 2, 2026.

Amatonjie said the court would determine whether Chinda was constitutionally entitled to participate in the APC screening and primary before the formal reading of his defection and resignation letter.

He, however, clarified that the suit was not seeking a general determination of whether Chinda had the right to contest the governorship election.

‘I am not saying he does not have the right to contest the position of governor in Rivers State. What I am saying, by virtue of the said provision of the Constitution, Section 68, is whether, as at the material time he picked that ticket, his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress had crystallised,’ he said.

Among the reliefs sought, the plaintiff is asking the court to declare that constitutional requirements governing defection by a member of the National Assembly must be complied with before such a person can validly participate in a political party’s governorship primary.

He is also seeking a declaration that INEC cannot validly recognise or publish Chinda as the APC governorship candidate if the court finds that he had not validly defected from the PDP before the APC screening and primary.

The plaintiff is further asking the court to disqualify Chinda from the 2027 Rivers State governorship election if it grants the reliefs sought.

Counsel to the PDP, Paul Daudu (SAN), said the matter was adjourned because the plaintiff required time to respond to processes filed by the defendants.

‘It was slated for hearing, but the plaintiff asked for adjournment because he needed to respond to the processes filed by the first, second and third defendants. That is essentially what happened,’ Daudu said.

Counsel to Chinda, Dike Udenna, also confirmed the adjournment, saying the plaintiff had sought time to respond to the preliminary objections and counter-affidavits filed by the defendants.

Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has begun targeting registered voters who are not active politicians as part of a grassroots mobilisation strategy ahead of the 2027 elections, Lagos State Women Leader, Iyabosola Abimbola Eletu, has disclosed.

Eletu said the party was moving beyond its existing membership structure to reach voters who possess Permanent Voter Cards but have not been actively participating in elections.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos, she said party members had been tasked with reaching out to people within their communities as part of a new mobilisation structure at polling-unit level.

‘We don’t want to campaign only to party members this time around. We need those who have their PVCs but are not politicians. Those are the ones we want to reach now,’ Eletu said.

According to her, the strategy involves party members identifying 10 potential voters around each polling unit who have PVCs but have not previously participated actively in elections.

She said the initiative formed part of broader efforts by her office to strengthen grassroots engagement ahead of the next electoral cycle.

The Women Leader said her office had earlier embarked on PVC sensitisation across Lagos during the registration exercise, particularly targeting people who obtained their voter cards in locations different from where they currently reside.

‘Some people were living in Alimosho and Agege but had their PVCs in Idumota. I told them to either transfer it if they knew they would not be able to come down to the Island to use that PVC on election day,’ she said.

She added that women leaders at the local government level also produced online content to educate residents about registration and transfer procedures.

According to her, the initiative generated calls from residents seeking information about where to register, collect or transfer their PVCs.

The new mobilisation strategy comes as the APC has stepped up its preparations for the 2027 elections in Lagos. The party formally unveiled Hamzat and Damilola Sonayon-James as its governorship and deputy governorship candidates in June.

Eletu said the focus on non-politicians was necessary because electoral mobilisation should not be restricted to existing party members.

She said the party’s grassroots structure was being positioned to take political participation to individual communities and polling units.

The Women Leader also disclosed that her office had been working to improve relations between local government women leaders and council chairpersons.

She said she brought the groups together after receiving complaints that some women leaders were not working closely with their respective council chairpersons.

According to her, the intervention has improved interaction between the two groups, with some local governments reporting better cooperation after meetings facilitated by her office.

‘We married them together that day. They were so happy. Since then, they’ve been interacting, promoting our party and making things work as expected,’ she said.

Eletu said the mobilisation programme would continue at the grassroots as the party prepares for the 2027 electoral cycle.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade I, has called on politicians to eschew primordial sentiments and be more pragmatic in finding solutions to the myriad of problems confronting the country.

The monarch said national growth and development depend largely on justice, moral worth, responsibility, conscientiousness, devotion to duty, selflessness, probity and honesty exhibited by both leaders and the led.

Oba Owoade gave the charge in a statement to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, on Tuesday.

According to the monarch, a nation’s value system is sacred and extends beyond its boundaries, noting that all nations are proud of their value systems just as individuals are proud of their upbringing and character.

‘It is assumed that a nation’s value system is sacred and could extend beyond that nation’s boundaries. All nations are supposed to be proud of their value systems, just as a person is proud of his or her upbringing and character and would try to impress that behaviour and beliefs on others. Basic values are traditional and historic, reflecting aspects of the experience that each nation went through since its inception as a national unity,’ he said.

The first-class monarch stressed that politicians must close ranks and logically brainstorm to arrive at an in-depth and coherent understanding of the contending state-building issues in the country.

Tracing Nigeria’s history, Oba Owoade noted that the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorates in 1914 brought together peoples of diverse historical and cultural backgrounds into one political space to chart a new future.

‘Despite this obvious challenge of diversity, the commitment of the colonial government towards ensuring the unity was demonstrated in a number of policies aimed at fostering cultural, political, social and economic ties among the various groups in the new nation.

‘Thus, from the time of amalgamation of the two protectorates with the colony of Lagos, till the period of regional administrations, Nigeria became committed to a united federation. Its commitment arose from its acceptance of federalism as a particular kind of functional arrangement between diverse communities for living together and working together nationally whilst preserving a measure of separate entity.’

He added that the quantum of unification and quality of unity achieved in the First Republic were evident in the provision of education, solid infrastructure, gainful employment, social welfare programmes and sound healthcare delivery by nationalists such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and the Sardauna of Sokoto.

Alaafin further argued that traditional institutions must be preserved and constitutionally recognised, saying that if Britain, which colonised Nigeria and introduced liberal democracy, still preserves its traditional institution by making the King the ceremonial head of state with powers over the British Armed Forces, there is no justifiable reason to throw traditional rulers in Nigeria into the dustbin of modern politics and governance.

According to him, since citizens, who are the major determiners of the success or otherwise of democratic and development programmes, are under the traditional influence of Obas, the position of traditional rulers as potent mobilisers, advisers, mediators, facilitators, adjudicators and nominators should be greatly harnessed.

‘It is, therefore, suggested that the traditional institutions which are the only remnants of our pre-colonial political system must be preserved, promoted and strengthened through official constitutional recognition and acknowledgement,’ he said.

Oba Owoade lamented that traditional institutions have gone through thick and thin, noting that they have been strengthened and weakened, elevated and humiliated, empowered and disempowered by the emergent political class from the pre-colonial era through colonialism to the post-colonial period.

‘Before the coming of the Europeans, traditional rulers held sway not only as the recognised political rulers of the states and kingdoms in Nigeria but also as custodians of the people’s history, culture, religion and economy,’ he stated.

‘The traditional institutions in the pre-colonial Yorubaland had all elements of modern governmental systems and they perfectly suited the social, political and economic situations of the era with the overall goal of the welfare of the generality of the people.

‘The advent of colonial rule and the imposition of Western styles of government not only reduced the powers and relevance of the traditional rulers but also made them subservient to their subjects, the educated elite. Since independence in 1960, the political status of traditional rulers has gone from bad to worse with far-reaching consequences for governance and administration in the country.’

The monarch also lauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration for focusing on rebuilding and laying the foundations for a sustainable country, noting that though Nigeria has undergone avoidable levels of deprivation, it can be surmounted if all work together.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has supported the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Sokoto State Branch, in training 90 volunteers on safety and security during humanitarian operations.

The Safer Access Framework training, held from September 22 to 29, 2026, brought together volunteers from the Sokoto North, Sokoto South, and Wamakko Local Government Areas.

The training was designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to operate safely and effectively while providing humanitarian assistance, particularly in sensitive and challenging environments.

Speaking on the program, an NRCS official said the training was necessary because volunteers often work directly with vulnerable communities and may be exposed to various operational and security risks.

According to the official, ‘Volunteers must understand that their conduct, communication, and relationship with communities can have a direct impact on their safety and the acceptance of humanitarian activities.’

The official said the training would also help participants improve their understanding of risk management while carrying out their humanitarian responsibilities.

‘We want our volunteers to be adequately prepared to operate safely, maintain trust, and uphold the principles of the Nigerian Red Cross Society wherever they are deployed,’ the official said.

The Safer Access Framework is designed to help national societies strengthen their preparedness and capacity to operate safely and effectively during armed conflicts, internal disturbances, tensions, and other challenging situations.

Participants were trained on issues including acceptance, security, communication, perception, appropriate conduct, and responsible engagement with communities and other stakeholders.

The NRCS said the ICRC’s support reflected its continued commitment to strengthening the capacity and preparedness of humanitarian personnel and volunteers in Nigeria.

The Sokoto branch appreciated the ICRC for supporting the training, saying improved preparedness would contribute to safer humanitarian operations and more effective assistance to vulnerable populations.

The branch also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the capacity of its volunteers and ensuring they are adequately prepared and protected while serving communities across the state.

NIGERIA’S net foreign portfolio investments (FPI) rose to $6.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, while the country’s gross external reserves climbed to $55.6 billion as of September 11, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed.

The figures point to a significant improvement in foreign exchange liquidity and investor confidence following reforms implemented by the apex bank over the past three years.

Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, CBN, Dr Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, disclosed the figures in his keynote address at the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) and Business Editors conference, in Abuja.

Abdullahi said the improvement in capital inflows and reserves reflected the combined impact of foreign exchange market reforms, tighter liquidity management, monetary policy measures, stronger oil receipts and increased remittance flows.

He disclosed that total foreign exchange flows reached $10.8 billion in July 2026, with $7.3 billion, representing nearly 68 percent, coming from more controllable sources.

According to him, remittances through international money transfer operators reached $950 million in July, while net foreign portfolio investments stood at $6.3 billion between January and August.

The CBN deputy governor cautioned that portfolio inflows could reverse, stressing the need to deepen more stable sources of foreign exchange and investment.

He said gross external reserves had risen to $55.6 billion by September 11, compared with net usable reserves of less than $900 million in the second quarter of 2023.

The development, he noted, represented a major shift from the conditions confronting the economy three years ago, when Nigeria’s foreign exchange market was fragmented and heavily administered.

Abdullahi said the gap between official and parallel-market exchange rates had averaged more than 60 percent in 2022 and exceeded 100 percent at some points. He added that the average gap, which stood at 68.2 percent in January 2022, had fallen to less than two percent.

He stressed that the CBN’s reforms included the consolidation of foreign exchange market windows, removal of restrictions that excluded 43 categories of imports from the official market, settlement of valid outstanding obligations and measures to improve transparency in foreign exchange trading.

The CBN official also linked the improved financial system resilience to the banking sector recapitalisation programme, which was launched in 2024.

He said 33 banks had met the revised minimum capital requirements by the end of the two-year programme, raising a combined N4.65 trillion.

According to him, stronger bank balance sheets would enhance the capacity of lenders to finance infrastructure, industrial expansion, international trade and other productive activities needed to support Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

Abdullahi said the reforms had also coincided with a moderation in inflation, which fell from 34.8 percent in December 2024 to 15.4 percent in July 2026, while real GDP growth reached 4.4 percent in the second quarter.

He, however, warned that stronger capital must be matched by sound governance and effective risk management.

He said banks must strengthen their management of credit, market, liquidity and operational risks, while paying greater attention to cybersecurity, data protection, climate-related risks and third-party dependencies.

‘Capital is, therefore, a starting point. Boards and management must maintain sound controls, recognise risks early, and rely on the strength of viable projects,’ he stated.

He said the CBN would continue to focus on governance, asset quality, liquidity, large exposures, stress testing and macro-prudential surveillance as the banking sector enters the post-recapitalisation era.

The deputy governor also urged banks to translate stronger balance sheets into productive lending and wider access to finance for agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, small businesses and households.

He stressed that the ultimate measure of recapitalisation should not only be the amount of capital raised, but the quality of banking services and productive lending that the stronger capital base supports.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has condemned the alleged arrest of members of the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ (TMG) movement in Maiduguri, Borno State, describing the development as an abuse of power.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the action amounted to intimidation and an attempt to silence citizens expressing political views.

‘The arrest of members of the Tinubu Must Go (#TMG) movement in Maiduguri by the state governor is reckless and a total abuse of power and office,’ Ologbondiyan said.

He said Nigerians had a constitutional right to express their political preferences and opinions, including calls to vote for the party and candidate of their choice in 2027.

He said expressing the slogan ‘Tinubu must go’ constituted political expression and did not amount to a criminal offence.

Ologbondiyan said arrests, harassment and intimidation would not deter Nigerians from exercising their franchise.

‘The intimidation of citizens through arrest and other unlawful means will not deter people from voting in the 2027 election,’ he said.

The ADC PCC called on Governor Babagana Zulum to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of those arrested and guarantee their safety.

It also urged the authorities to ensure that no harm came to the detainees.

Ologbondiyan recalled that when the All Progressives Congress (APC) was in opposition, its members criticised the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, but Jonathan did not order the arrest of citizens for exercising their right to free speech.

The council appealed to the international community, including the African Union, European Union, British High Commission and United States Embassy, to take note of the development and support efforts to protect the democratic space and fundamental rights.

Flutterwave Founder and CEO Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola has been named to Fintech Magazine’s Top 100 Fintech Leaders list, recognising his continued efforts to build and govern cross-functional systems that power digital commerce, financial inclusion, and cross-border trade at scale.

The Top 100 Leaders List, published by Fintech Magazine, a specialist publication focused on the global fintech industry, brings together senior executives shaping the development and direction of financial technology. Its weighted assessment considers factors including organisational scale and market impact, governance and responsibility, professional recognition, and industry influence, areas that reflect the leadership capacity required to build and govern financial infrastructure across multiple markets.

The recognition reflects the scale and impact of Agboola’s work at Flutterwave, where he has led the company’s evolution from a payments technology provider into a broader financial infrastructure platform. Under his leadership, Flutterwave has expanded its payments footprint, strengthened its cross-border capabilities, entered new areas of financial services, and continued building infrastructure to serve consumers, businesses, and enterprises at scale.

Agboola joins a global group of fintech leaders on the Top 100 list, including Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple; Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle; Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block; Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase; and Patrick Collison, Co-founder and CEO of Stripe.

Glen White, CEO of Fintech Magazine, mentioned in the magazine: ‘Their work is transforming the industry, driving financial inclusion and embedding innovation across products, platforms and customer experience. As we move deeper into an era defined by AI, real-time payments and digital-first banking, these leaders offer a blueprint for sustainable growth and lasting impact.’

Under Agboola’s leadership, Flutterwave has continued to expand its role in Africa’s financial infrastructure. In 2026, the company secured a Nigerian Microfinance Bank licence, marking a significant step in its evolution from a payments provider to a bank.

The licence enables Flutterwave to hold funds and deposits directly, while giving it greater control over how money moves, settles, and is accessed in its largest market. It also creates a foundation for expanding services across business accounts, payments, payouts, and treasury solutions.

Flutterwave has expanded its financial infrastructure capabilities through the acquisition of Mono, a leading open banking platform. The acquisition strengthens access to financial data and open banking infrastructure across Africa, complementing Flutterwave’s existing payments and financial services capabilities and enabling more connected financial experiences for consumers and businesses.

The company is also advancing stablecoin-powered solutions and building multi-currency products designed to make cross-border payments faster, more accessible, and more affordable for Africans. By enabling individuals and businesses to hold, receive, and move money across different currencies more seamlessly, Flutterwave is helping reduce some of the traditional barriers to participating in the global economy.

Earlier in the year, Flutterwave surpassed $50 billion in total transaction value across more than 1 billion transactions, reflecting the scale of the infrastructure it has built across Africa and international markets. The company’s valuation also rose to over $3.2 billion after receiving strategic investments from global stablecoin companies Ripple and Circle, supporting its efforts to make cross-border payments more accessible, efficient, and affordable across Africa.

As a builder and entrepreneur committed to enabling Africa’s thriving startup ecosystem, Agboola has continued to champion the continent’s broader innovation ecosystem as an investor and mentor. Through Resilience17 (R17), his venture studio and early-stage investment platform, he supports emerging founders building high-growth companies across Africa.

No fewer than 250 students across Ondo and Osun states have benefited from the 2026 scholarship programme of the High Chiefs Bode and Betty Osedimilehin Foundation.

The beneficiaries were drawn from public primary and secondary schools, technical colleges and medical programmes across Owo, Ose, Akure North and Akure South Local Government Areas of Ondo State, as well as Ile-Ife in Osun State.

The scholarship scheme, which commenced in 2024, entered its third edition this year, with the foundation expanding its education intervention to reach more students and support human capital development.

The 2026 programme began in Owo with a presentation at Imade College before moving to Akure, where beneficiaries received their awards at Fiwasaye Girls Grammar School.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Coordinator of the foundation, Osedimilehin Dele Johnson, said the initiative was aimed at investing in the future of the beneficiaries rather than merely providing financial assistance.

Johnson urged the students to take advantage of the opportunity and remain committed to their education.

‘Today, we are not simply presenting financial assistance. We are investing in dreams. We are saying to every beneficiary: Your education matters. Your potential matters. Your future matters,’ he said.

The founders, High Chiefs Bode and Betty Osedimilehin, who joined the ceremony virtually from Australia, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to make good use of the opportunity.

The duo also encouraged the students to support others in the future, saying such a gesture would help break the cycle of poverty.

The former Director-General of the Ondo State Project Performance Implementation and Monitoring Unit, Engr. Razaq Obe, who delivered the guest lecture, described education as a key instrument for transforming individuals and society.

Obe said investment in education should be regarded as an investment in the future of communities and society.

‘Education is the bedrock of every society and it remains the most significant tool to transform lives and advance nations,’ he said.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Scholarship, Samad Orijeminiyi, lauded the foundation for sustaining the scholarship programme for three consecutive years.

Orijeminiyi said the continuity of the scheme demonstrated that the foundation’s intervention was not a one-off philanthropic gesture.

He called on the beneficiaries to justify the confidence placed in them by the sponsors.

‘The value you draw from this scheme will be the main encouragement for the sponsors to do more,’ Orijeminiyi said.

The governor’s aide also pledged to draw the attention of the state government, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to the contributions of Chief Dr Bode Osedimilehin and his wife, Chief Mrs Betty Osedimilehin, to education in the state.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Volunteer Services, Comrade Adeolu Iwakun, commended the foundation for supporting students.

He called on individuals and corporate organisations to complement government efforts in education and human capital development, particularly amid the rising cost of education.

The foundation had earlier held a scholarship presentation in Owo, where students from Owo and Ose Local Government Areas benefited from the scheme.

The final phase of the 2026 scholarship awards was held in Ile-Ife, Osun State, as part of activities marking the Olojo Festival, in collaboration with the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Babatunde Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

According to the foundation, 40 beneficiaries were selected from 20 public schools in Ile-Ife.

The foundation said the scholarship programme was designed to support students’ education and contribute to broader human capital development in the communities where it operates.